The Leaders Of Light
by peverralquest
Summary: In order to protect the wizarding world from approaching darkness, Godric Gryffindor makes a choice , on his deathbed.He along with Helga Hufflepuff performs a ritual.What could be it's consequences thousand years later?
1. An Event of the Past

A/N : I'd like to thank my beta Miz636 for doing a wonderful job in editing the chapters.

AN EVENT OF THE PAST

"I'm telling you Godric this isn't yet over," bellowed Slytherin as he stood just outside the gates of the mighty castle, Hogwarts. "If you don't see my ways soon, I assure you that one day you will rue the day you were born." With one last glance at the three figures that looked back at him with stony faces, he turned on the spot and disappeared with a soft pop.

Godric Gryffindor sighed as he stared at the spot where his once closest friend had stood only a few moments ago.

"Well, I guessed this would happen sooner or later." It seemed as if he was speaking to himself.

"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Ravenclaw in an undertone.

Hufflepuff didn't say anything, but her face clearly showed the sorrow of losing one of her friends to darkness.

Without another word, the three remaining founders walked back to the castle as the door slammed shut behind them.

FIFTY YEARS LATER

Godric Gryffindor was on his deathbed, but the thought of his approaching demise was far away from his mind.

He was worried for the world with which he had fallen in love since his birth and watched over it like a hawk throughout his life. As he waited for his next great adventure, he feared for what would happen to it after his death in the hands of his once friend and now greatest nemesis.

A quiet knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Godric wondered who it could be as he had made sure his sons knew that the war efforts were much more important than his own state of health and had convinced them to leave him and help the side of light in a war where their chance of victory was very slim.

The door opened slowly and a figure stepped in.

"Ah, Helga," murmured Gryffindor.

Indeed, it was Helga Hufflepuff, the only founder alive apart from Gryffindor who had stayed true to the light.

She had fought by his side throughout these dark times, and he considered her his greatest friend and most trusted ally.

"What brings you here?" asked Gryffindor as he had expected her to be at the warfront, leading their side against Salazar in his absence.  
>"I came to see you," replied Hufflepuff quietly, "and also to give you some sad news."<p>

As the light fell upon Helga's face, Gryffindor could see that it was drawn and pale with a visible sense of hopelessness in it. He was saddened to think that the action of one of his friends had led to the pain and suffering that he and his other friends were going through.

"And what may that be?" he asked calmly.

Gryffindor's capability of remaining calm in any instance was something that Hufflepuff had come to respect a long time ago.

"Your sons… they are – they are… well, they were very brave, and…" Hufflepuff was unable to continue as silent tears fell from her eyes.

Gryffindor was quiet for a long time.

"It would seem that fate wanted them to start their next great adventure before me." He appeared to be speaking to himself.

Hufflepuff remained silent.

What could she say? It was clear that the news had greatly affected the greatest leader of the side of light, but he was trying his best not to show the sorrow that he felt at the news of his sons' demise.

"The next generation is just not good enough to win the war," murmured Helga. "Your death will merely be the last nail on the coffin." A sense of despair was creeping into her voice.

"Don't lose hope yet Helga," said Gryffindor. Something in his voice made Hufflepuff look up at him, and she couldn't help but notice that there was a strange glint in his eyes.

Helga knew that Godric Gryffindor never gave up. This was the attitude, along with his sheer sense of bravery, that had made him an acknowledged leader of the light.

But at this point, she failed to realize what there to hope for. Their chances of victory against darkness were so small that even the best fighters were starting to give up.

"I agree with you," continued Godric as if he wasn't aware of Hufflepuff's musings," the next generation isn't ready to fight a full-fledged battle and come up with a victory, what with my sons' sudden demise and your daughter's severe illness." Gryffindor paused for a moment before continuing, "However, I believe that we can make sure that, if not the next generation then, a future generation will be well prepared to fight against the darkness and come out with a victory under their belt." Hufflepuff merely looked at him blankly.

Gryffindor smiled slightly. "I see that you don't understand," he commented.

When Helga nodded silently, he continued, "Let me explain, and then I believe that you will have a better understanding as to what I have in my mind.

"You see, apart from leading the light against Salazar for the last fifty years, I have also been busy researching very vague and unknown portions of magic." At Helga's questioning look, Gryffindor answered, "I was researching Time and its various aspects." Hufflepuff's eyes widened.

"Godric, you aren't considering time travel, are you?" she asked in horror. "Because I must remind you, though the branch is extremely obscure, I know for a fact that it's extremely dangerous to travel time for more than a day, not to mention that it could have catastrophic consequences." Gryffindor looked rather taken aback at Hufflepuff's outburst and tried to calm her.

"No, no, Helga, I assure you that I am not considering time travel."

When Helga didn't look like she believed him, he continued, "You see. I am aware of the consequences of travelling through time and was, thus, thinking of safer way to use time to our advantage."

Now Helga looked a bit intrigued. "And how do you propose we do that?" she asked.

"Some time back, I came to the realization that I had taken Salazar's warnings a bit too lightly all those years ago," he said. "If I had taken them for what they were and had not underestimated him, then maybe the war wouldn't even have reached this state today." He shook his head sadly.

"Do not blame yourself alone, Godric. You are not the only one to blame," sighed Helga. "We also didn't take him seriously. We all thought that he alone wouldn't be that much of harm to our world."

"I know," said Gryffindor, "so I decided to try and find a way to help a future generation against Salazar's heirs, should we fail to defeat him in our own time." Gryffindor paused.

"And you have found one," concluded Helga. Gryffindor nodded.

"There is a ritual to send our knowledge, power, and skill to the heir who would not only need them but would also have the greatest similarity to us regarding every aspect."

"Do you want me to participate in this ritual, too?" Hufflepuff asked, although she thought that she knew the answer.

"Would you?" Godric asked. "You see, the ritual needs two targets in the future, which means that two heirs are needed to succeed in the ritual, and they must also be the heirs of two different bloodlines."

"You want my heir to be the second one?" asked Hufflepuff to clarify.

"Yes, I do," replied Godric. "I strongly believe that our heirs, with our powers and knowledge together, will succeed in doing what we are about to fail." Hufflepuff was quiet for some time. "I know it is a very heavy decision, but I would require your answer right now, Helga, as we – I mean, _I_– don't have much time left in this world.

"I should also inform you that, since this ritual requires a vast amount of our own magic and life force, the instant the ritual is over, I will be dead and your life will also be severely shortened." Godric paused. "The decision is yours, Helga."

After recovering from the shock of hearing the consequence of the rituals, Helga thought about everything that was at stake. The happiness of the entire world rested on her decision, and who could she trust if she couldn't trust her old friend Godric, now, at the moment he needed her the most to make a difference?

"I have one last question," she finally said. At Godric's questioning glance, she continued, "When will they receive the power?"

Godric stared at Helga for a while and then replied, "When one of them reaches his or her sixteenth birthday."

"I am ready," came a firm answer from Helga Hufflepuff.


	2. On Sixteenth Birthday

ON SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY

Sybil Trelawney was beyond annoyed. How could... how could the Headmaster even _think_ that she, the descendant of such a well-known Seer, would agree to share classes? And to think that he was asking her to share classes with a - with a _horse_! It was disgraceful; she felt downright insulted. She would not, under any conditions, tolerate this. How could a horse have the wealth of knowledge that she had from her years of experiences regarding Divination?

Oh no, she would put the Headmaster exactly in his place and would inform him in no uncertain terms that she would not agree to this request of his. But, as she opened her mouth to retort, all of a sudden it seemed as if all the air in her lungs had gone out; she choked, and the world around her was engulfed in darkness.

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Albus Dumbledore was well known throughout the world as a man who never lost his composure, nor did he ever looked surprised at anything that was thrown into his life. And, indeed, very few people in this world could ever think of comparing their life to the eventful life of the Headmaster of Hogwarts. And thus, at the ripe old age of one-hundred-and-fifty-two, Albus prided himself to think that there was nothing in this world that could shock him into silence.

But now, as he sat slack jawed, unable to think, his mind in a whirlwind, he chided himself. "_One never knows what Fate has in store for him," _he thought. Here he was, staring at his Divination professor, who had just made a prophecy – not for the first time, no, but for the second time in his presence.

Now some would say: what was so strange about a Seer making a prophecy? There were two main reasons for being appalled. Firstly, she had made only two real prophecies in her life and would usually spend her day making outrageous predictions that earned her the 'reputation' of being a fraud. The second reason was, of course, the strangeness of the prophecy. Out of everything that could have happened, Dumbledore had never expected to hear a prophecy mentioning not only the Founders of Hogwarts but also two major elements of nature in a personified manner. Thus, the old man was clearly taken off guard.

Albus had merely called his Divination teacher to his office to inform her that, since Firenze could no longer return to the forest, he and Trelawney would have to share classes. He had expected a huge row, but not this.

The professor had glared at him for a long time, before opening her mouth to speak. The next moment, her eyes rolled back, and in an eerie voice that was so unlike her, she said, "_The time has come, the day is near...When light and dark will face each other in an ultimate battle of the age... A struggle that began thousand years ago between the founders... will finally meet its end... The chances of victory rests equally divided and all lies in the hands of Fire and Air, the two heirs the leaders of light… Do not stand in front of Fire, unless you want to get burnt alive... Do not block air's way, unless you want to be blown apart... Just trust them for who they are, and all will be well... The time has come, the day is near."_

What could it mean? Oh well, Dumbledore, of course, understood what the prophecy implied, but could it somehow be related to the other prophecy? Could it somehow be related to Harry? But how? The Potters were never known to have any connections with the Founders. Both the Gryffindor and the Hufflepuff lines had disappeared right after the said founders' deaths. The last living descendant of Ravenclaw had left Britain for good nearly sixty years ago and was in no way related to the Potters. As for Slytherin, there was Voldemort, the living proof.

But then why would this prophecy be made, and what did it mean by the 'Leaders of Light'? Did it mean that not one but _two_ people would lead the side of light against Voldemort? But then, who were they?

The first prophecy had clearly indicated that Harry would be the one to kill Voldemort, but if he was one of the Leaders, then, what could be his connection to the Founders? And who could be the other Leader? Neville?

Question after question raced through the aged wizard's mind as the Divination teacher left his office after much grumbling.

All of a sudden, his thought process was interrupted by a loud piercing noise. Albus stared at the silver instrument that was whistling shrilly at his desk, and in a matter of a seconds, with all thoughts of the prophecy forgotten, he raced towards he fireplace, threw some Floo powder into the fire, and muttering his destination, inserted his head. In a moment, Professor McGonagall's office came into view.

"Minerva, gather the Order immediately; it's a matter of utmost emergency."

"Albus, what's happened?" asked McGonagall in concern.

"It's Privet Drive; the Blood Wards around the house have just been shattered to pieces."

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Number Four, Privet Drive looked exactly the same as every other house in the locality. But, if you got inside the house, you'd find that it had a huge difference. What was this difference, you might ask. It was a boy who would reach his sixteenth birthday only half an hour later.

Why would a boy, who looked like he wasn't even properly fed, make such a difference? You see, Harry Potter was a wizard, who had just returned from his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a few weeks ago.

The boy in question was currently lying on his pitiful excuse of a bed, staring into the space.

"_It was all my fault_," he thought miserably. This was the same thought that had pierced him like a sharp knife since that night at the Department of Mysteries. "_If I hadn't been such a fool..."_

He had been deceived by Lord Voldemort and had been lured to the Department of Mysteries along with his five friends, where a fight had ensued between them and the awaiting Death Eaters. That fight had resulted in the death of the only person he thought of as close to a replacement for his parents: his Godfather, Sirius Black.

It was all due to a prophecy, made seventeen years ago, which predicted this young boy as the only means of destruction of the Dark Lord. This was what had encouraged Lord Voldemort to kill his parents and attack him as a baby. But he hadn't succeeded to kill Harry as the Killing Curse meant to kill the baby had backfired and hit the madman instead.

Voldemort had disappeared for thirteen years, only to return at the end of Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. And now, after already losing his parents, he had lost his Godfather as well, and it was his entire fault. He was such a fool.

The boy tossed and turned in his bed as the hands of the clock on the table slowly approached midnight. As the hands reached twelve, a very strange thing took place. Yes, even strange for Harry, who had already seen a lot of strange things in his short life.

The air above his bed began to glow. Harry sat up immediately and pulled the wand out of his pocket. Nowadays, he always kept it close... just in case. The air above his bed was getting even denser, and it was glowing. The intensity of the glow increased rapidly as the minutes ticked away.

Harry stared at it with his wand in his hand, not knowing what to do. The air glowed bright red, the shade of which was continuously increasing; however, at the outer edges, the air glowed pure Gold. How long was it since the glow had started, ten minutes?

All of a sudden, the glow spread. It hit the walls, roof, bed, and the few pieces of furniture that occupied the room, and much to Harry s astonishment, whatever the glow touched, it either turned the color of deep red or that of pure gold. Soon the entire room had turned Gryffindor colors.

As if that wasn't enough, the next moment, the entire room caught fire. Flames erupted from every side and surrounded him. He jumped back a little in surprise and slight fear and was about to use his wand to douse the flames when he realized that something was different.

It was a summer evening, and he was surrounded by flames, but in spite of that fact, he didn't feel the slightest bit hot. He felt quite comfortable, not to mention… at home? What was the matter with him?

Something told him to put his hands into the flames.

"_But wouldn't that burn me_?" he wondered, but something continuously urged him to do otherwise. So, after a moment of hesitation, he tentatively passed his hand through the nearest row of flames, and much to his astonishment, his hand didn't burn at all. Instead, he felt a cooling sensation.

Taking his hand out of the flames, Harry looked around the room and immediately noticed something else that wasn't there even a moment ago. At the centre of the room, surrounded by flames, stood the image of a Golden Lion.

It was only an image the size of his palm, but it looked kind of solid. Harry pointed his wand at it and muttered a revealing charm. One couldn't think of underage magic at a moment like this. When nothing happened, he tentatively reached out his hand and touched it.

All of a sudden, he felt himself being sucked into a virtual pipe. He was being pressed from all sides and could hardly breathe. A few moments later, the sensation disappeared, and he collapsed to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, he was up on his feet and had raised his wand, only to find another wand pointed straight at him.

"Ginny?"

"Harry?"

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A/N : A huge thanks to my beta Miz636 for her help with this chapter.


	3. But That's Impossible

A/N : Sorry for this huge delay , what with the end of year exams and start of classes for the new semester, I just didn't get the time to write the third chapter. I was also looking for a beta and I decided to wait until I find one before I post this chapter. I am really happy to inform all of you that Miz636 agreed to beta read the story. She had edited all the three chapters and I've replaced the first two chapters with the edited versions. You can go back and check them out if you want

A huge thanks to Miz636 for editing this chapter. I know that there were quite a few mistakes regarding grammar, I'm glad you corrected them.

Thanks to all my reviewers , I hope you all like this chapter.

BUT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE

A faint pop was heard throughout Grimmauld Place as a hooded man appeared out of thin air. He looked around to make sure that nobody had noticed him appear and then walked purposefully towards Number Twelve, which stood in front of him.

As he tapped the door with his wand, the sound of a number of locks unlocking echoed inside the home, and then the door swung open. The man walked into the house quietly and towards the kitchen, where men and women of different ages and appearances sat quietly around the table, waiting for their leader to arrive.

As the man took off his hood, revealing greasy black hair, the other occupants of the room looked at him questioningly. However, he merely ignored them and sat down at his designated spot. It had been a rough day for Severus Snape, and all he wanted to do was submit his report and return to his home and have a quiet evening alone.

Nymphadora Tonks sat on the opposite side of the table and stared at the Potions Master. Although she hated the man for the way he treated the non-Slytherins at Hogwarts and for the way he had treated her when she was a student, even she could not deny the courage of the man. Not just anyone had the bravery needed to become what he was: a spy for the Order inside the Dark Lord's Inner Circle. What she didn't realize was that Severus Snape had nothing to lose; the one thing that he cared for… he had lost her on the Halloween night of 1981, or maybe even before that.

As she sat and waited for their leader to arrive, she thought of the day Harry and Ginny had disappeared.

_Nymphadora __Tonks __was __not __having __a __great__ day .__ She __had__ been __up __since __five __in __the __morning __and __had __rushed__ to __the __Ministry __for __an__ early __shift .__ These __days __Aurors __had __to __work __nearly __double__ their__ usual__ shifts , __what __with __the __official __announcement __of __the __return __of __You-Know-Who, __the __vote __of__ No-Confidence __against __Cornelius __Fudge__,__the __former __Minister __of__ Magic,__and __the __capture__ of __several __Ministry __employees,__including __one __Lucius __Malfoy ,__as__ Death __Eaters.__No,__the __Ministry__ was__ not __a __very __peaceful__ place __to__ work__ in__ these__ days._

_After __a __hectic__ day __of __work,__she__ had __gone__ to __Privet __Drive __and__ had __taken __over__ from __Hestia__ Jones __at__ watching__ over __Harry.__She __had __a__ three-hour __shift __before__ she__ could __go__ home._

_She__ glanced __at __the__ watch __that __her __father __had__ given __her __on __her__ fifteenth __birthday __and __saw __that __it __was__ twenty__ more __minutes __before __her __shift__ ended._

"_Oh,__well,__twenty __more __minutes__ before __I __get __to __go __home,__" __she__ thought.__ "__Let__'__s __hope __nothing __happens__ today.__"_

_She__ was __feeling__ so __sleepy __that __she__ could__ barely __keep __her__ eyes__ open.__ Her __eyes__ must __have __closed __on __their __own__ because, __all__ of__ a __sudden,__ she__ was __jerked __awake __when__ she__ felt __the__ ground __below__ her __tremble._

_Before__ she__ could__ figure__ out__ what __was __happening ,__she __noticed__ something __else __that __made __all__ the __tiredness __that __she __felt __leave __at __once._

"_Oh,__Merlin,__what__'__s __happening?__" __she__ thought,__though__ deep __in __her __mind __she __knew__ what __it__ was;__she __just __couldn__'__t __believe __it._

_The __air__ around __her__ crackled__ with__ power __as, __slowly __but__ steadily ,__a __golden __dome __appeared __around __Number __Four ,__Privet __Drive. __As __time__ passed ,__the __Golden __Dome __intensified ,__and__ a __solid __gold __shield appeared__._

"_The__ blood __wards,__" __murmured__ Tonks __as __she __stood,__frozen__ with __fear.__She__ had __even __forgotten__ to__ alert__ the__ Order._

_The__ next __moment,__several __cracks __appeared__ on __the __golden __dome.__More__ cracks __appeared __one-by-one, __and__ then, __as __the __cracks __spread ,__an__ ear-splitting__ sound __was__ heard ,__and__ Tonks__ was__ thrown__ off__ her__ feet__ as__ she__ was __slammed__ to __the __ground ,__her__ head__ hitting __the __corner __of__ a __rock . __The __world __around __her__ turned __black._

Tonks was broken out of her thoughts by the arrival of the leader of the Order of the Phoenix. Albus Dumbledore entered the room, and after glancing at the assembled members of the Order, he sighed and sat down at the head of the table. In the past few weeks, he seemed to have aged at least fifty years. The man, who was known for never showing any sign of weakness, now had dark circles around his eyes.

"Members of the Order," he spoke quietly but was clearly heard by all, "I welcome you all at this meeting. You all know why we are here as I'm sure that none of you have forgotten that fateful night a few weeks ago."

Indeed, nobody had forgotten, that was for sure. That was the night when everything spiralled out of the control of Albus Dumbledore.

_"Minerva, gather the Order immediately; it's a matter of utmost emergency."_

_"Albus, what's happened?" asked McGonagall in concern._

_"It's Privet Drive; the Blood Wards around the house have just been shattered to pieces."_

_They had arrived at the Dursleys in less than five minutes, only to find that everything was calm and just as it should be. There were just two differences: the blood wards around the house no longer existed, and Harry Potter had disappeared._

_They had found the unconscious body of Tonks in a nearby bush, and after reviving her, she had given her description of how, all of a sudden, the wards had collapsed. _

_Upon questioning the Dursleys, they had failed to get any useful information as the Muggles could neither feel the creation nor the destruction of magical wards and were completely unaware of it._

"_Good Riddance – that's what I say," Vernon had stated to Dumbledore's face upon hearing that his nephew was missing. "At least we won't have to feed that ungrateful freak for the rest of the summer. It would be best if he was dead," he had added in a pleased voice before cowering back at the look on the Order members' faces. If looks could kill, then Vernon Dursley would have died that day._

_It seemed to Dumbledore that Harry had just disappeared into thin air. There was no sign of struggle, none at all. He was simply… gone. Everything that belonged to him, including Dudley's hand-me-down clothes and his trunk, was gone as well; even Hedwig was missing._

_When Dumbledore had used one of his numerous instruments to track him down, he had come to a dead end. It seemed that Harry had just disappeared not only from Privet Drive but also from the magical world and maybe even from the Earth._

_That was when he got his second blow: Molly Weasley had appeared in his office, in tears, to inform him that her youngest child and only daughter, Ginny, was missing._

_Albus had immediately arrived at the Burrow to find, to his utter astonishment, that the wards around the Burrow that he had helped Bill Weasley construct were gone. _

_All the Weasley children informed him that, just after midnight, they had felt the ground shaking. Thinking it was an earthquake, they had rushed out of the house, only to find that the sky was lit with a reddish glow as the wards collapsed around them with an ear-splitting sound._

_Expecting an attack, they had pulled out their wands, but after a long search, they had come to the conclusion that there was no intruder._

_That was when they had noticed that Ginny was not with them. Thinking that she had fallen asleep and, thus, had not felt the wards collapsing, they had walked back into the house, only to find the house empty._

_What intrigued Albus was the similarity between the two disappearances. In this case, just like Harry, Ginny was simply gone along with all her belongings, not to mention there was no sign of struggle._

Albus was brought out of his musings at a question from Molly.

"Did you find them? Do you have any idea where they could be?" she asked anxiously.

Molly Weasley had taken the news of the disappearances of her daughter and her almost-son very badly. She had completely broken down, and it had taken nearly a week for Arthur to calm her down.

"I'm afraid not, Molly," Albus stated sadly as he looked at his Potions Master.

"The Dark Lord either has no idea where Potter and the Weasley girl is, or he is not giving his Death Eaters any information about it," said Snape. "As his skill in Occlumency is one of the best, I have no idea which of them it is."

"How did he take the news about their disappearances?" Dumbledore asked.

Dumbledore had asked Snape to reveal the information to the Dark Lord to find out whether he had any hand in the disappearance of Harry and Ginny.

"He was very calm about it," stated Snape.

After a moment, he added, "He was somewhat expecting it."

When Dumbledore looked at him questioningly, he elaborated, "He was under the impression that the death of Potter's Godfather would be too much for him, and as a result, Potter might take his own life, or else leave the wizarding world for good."

Hearing the gasp of various Order members he stated, "He is under the impression that the latter happened."

However, Dumbledore shook his head.

"It doesn't seem so," he sight. "If Harry had left the magical world for good, then the wards would indeed have come down, but they would not have shattered like they did. And then how do you explain Miss Weasley's disappearance?"

The Order had searched the entire of Britain with a comb but still had failed to locate Harry. Dumbledore had sent Fawkes out, and even the Phoenix couldn't find them. It must mean that they were under powerful wards that had made their location unplottable.

The next day was the first of September, and so the Order discussed the protections of the students in King's Cross station and during the train ride.

"We're having five Order members and the Ministry is sending ten Aurors on the train for the protection of the students during the ride. As much as I hate to say it, with the disappearance of Potter, it doesn't seem likely that the Dark Lord will try anything during the journey from London to Hogwarts," reported Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Oh, how wrong they were.

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It was nearly eleven in the morning when the Weasley family arrived at Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. Well, all of them who were in England except Ginny.

Whoever looked at them could clearly see the devastation that they felt at the disappearance of the youngest member of the family and the one whom they consider their son or brother.

As they walked to the train, they were met by Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood, all of whom had a look of grief and sorrow on their face. They did not acknowledge any of the other students, who were whispering and pointing at them. It was clear that knowledge of the disappearances of Harry and Ginny was already public.

They found a compartment and settled in as the train left the station and was on its way towards Hogwarts.

Just as the woman who pushed the food trolley had left, all four of them refusing to eat anything as they were deep in thought, the door to their compartment flew open, and there stood their long time enemy, Draco Malfoy, with his two bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle.

Before he could even say anything, four disarming charms hit them. As the boys hadn't even drawn their wands, the trio was thrown backwards, and they slammed onto the opposite wall of the corridor.

"We don't want to hear anything that you have to say," Hermione stated, "so just get lost." She was still pointing her wand at them along with her three friends.

Malfoy staggered up and glared at the four students malevolently, but then all of a sudden, his glare turned into a smirk, a sinister sort of smirk.

"Oh, well, your time will come soon," he said, and without a backward glance, he left.

Hermione looked at the others in confusion. "What did he mean by that?" she asked.

"Don't take him seriously, Hermione; he's just acting like he knows something that we don't," Ron said, "just like he always does."

"But…" Before Neville could say anything more, the train came to an abrupt stop. All of a sudden, the lights in the train went off, just as they had before their third year.

"What's happening?" asked Luna as they, once again, pulled out their wands.

"It's the Dementors," murmured Hermione, her eyes wide as they all felt the familiar chill that came with the approaching of a Dementor.

Luna looked out of the window, which was freezing quickly, and let out a small scream.

"There are hundreds and hundreds of Dementors, and they're entering the train," she whispered, "and there are Death Eaters behind them."

"Is You-Know-Who here as well?" asked Neville.

"I don't think so, I can't see him anywhere. "

"We can't just wait here and let the Dementors get to us. Let's find the DA and get out of the train," Hermione decided.

"Are you mad?" cried Ron. "Do you think that, with the help of fifteen adult wizards and the DA, we'll be able to stop hundreds of Dementors, not to mention the Death Eaters?"

"Harry did it in our third year," Hermione stated as if she were trying to convince herself that it was a good idea rather than Ron. "Besides, unless we're in an open area, it will be difficult for us to defend ourselves against the Dementors. At least outside we can prevent the Dementors from coming near us."

"Yeah with twenty five Patronuses," Ron snorted, but at Hermione's glare, he decided to follow her.

Gathering the DA, they persuaded Remus and Tonks, who were in charge of the Order and the Aurors on the train respectively, to come out in the open instead of trying to defend themselves from the train. The rest of the students were ordered to remain on the train as the DA, Order, and Aurors surrounded the train and faced the Dark Forces.

They soon realized that there was no chance of asking for help as Anti-Apparition and the Anti-Portkey wards had slammed up over the area.

"Well, well, well, the ickle babies have grown up and decided to fight back instead of cowering inside the train," laughed a familiar voice as Bellatrix Lestrange stepped in front of the Death Eaters, looking over the group of fighters.

Seeing Bellatrix, Neville's hand tightened around his wand as he prepared to strike. Under no circumstance would he let her escape this time.

Bella continued to laugh, and then she cackled madly. "And do you think that you lot will be able to stop all these Dementors without your so called savior, who has decided to hide in the Muggle world?"

"Liar!" shouted Hermione. "Harry didn't hide in the Muggle world, and you know it."

"Is that so, Mudblood?" taunted Bellatrix. "It's such a pity that, when the Muggle-loving fool Dumbledore arrives, he'll find all his students Kissed." She once again paused to laugh like a maniac. "If your so-called savior is out there somewhere instead of hiding in the Muggle world, then I challenge him to protect you from these Dementors, who are all so eager to give you a little kiss.

"Not that he would be able to, even if he tried," she concluded. Then she turned and signaled the Dementors to attack.

As the Dementors stepped forward and lunged towards them, a strange thing happened. Wind began to blow rapidly, and with an utmost roar, a wall of fire erupted from the ground, surrounding the entire train and separating them from the Dark Forces.

Bellatrix laughed loudly.

"Oh you poor dears," she said, shaking her head in mock sorrow, "you're so frightened that you seem to have forgotten that only Patronus charms can stop the Dementors. Fire has no effect on them."

As the people in and around the train wondered who had created this wall of fire, the Dementors dived towards them. Hermione raised her wand to cast the Patronus charm, but there was no need for it.

As the first two Dementors entered the fire, they gave loud shrieks and, within seconds, were turned into ashes. As those in the train stared in surprise, Bellatrix cried out, "But that's impossible!"

No Dementor in history had ever died, and right now, they had just witnessed the death of not one but _two_ Dementors.

"The word 'impossible' isn't in our dictionary," said a calm voice from above them.

All the people looked up to see two hooded figures simply floating in the air above them, one of them dressed in red and gold while the other was in dark yellow. Their voices were also disguised with some sort of charm.

"Whoever you two are, you'll not get away with this!" screamed Bellatrix. And then she signaled for the Dementors to attack the hooded figures.

"A very bad idea, my dear lady," declared the other figure with a mock bow, and with that, they vanished from the view.

Before anyone could say anything, two things happened.

Two walls of fire erupted on either side of the Dementors, formed a ring, and began closing in on them. At the same time, a huge burst of air slammed into the Death Eaters, knocking them off their feet and forcing them on the ground. Their wands flew out off their hands and snapped in two halves on their own. Then ropes made of fire appeared out of nowhere and bound the Death Eaters.

The Death Eaters were burnt badly on whichever parts of their body where the ropes touched, but none of them were fatal. It was as if they were only meant to cause pain.

Within seconds, all of the Death Eaters were incapacitated in this manner – all of them except Bellatrix, who stared around her as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

Meanwhile, what happened to the Dementors? They were on the receiving of a slow and agonizing death. Their screams filled the air, and as much as they tried, they failed to get out of the ring of fire that surrounded them.

When the fire subsided, only a pile of ashes remained where, a few moments before, there once stood hundreds of Dementors. Not one of them survived.

Bellatrix tried to negate the Apparition and the Portkey wards, but the wards refused to respond to her, thus trapping her in her own trap.

"Oh, are we trying to escape, now?" asked the figure in red and gold as both the figures reappeared silently. "Not until you give me a duel."

"I'll make a deal with you Bella," the figure continued. "We duel, and if you win, I'll let you go.

"As much as you try to deny it, Bella, you are stuck. I've placed wards that will prevent you from even calling your favorite Dark Lord."

Bellatrix realized quickly that there was no other way to flee. Even though she would deny it with all her mind, heart, and soul, she was afraid – no, terrified – of this wizard who, with his companion, had performed magic unlike any she had ever witnessed. But she had no choice; at least this way she would go down fighting for her Lord, and he would remember her as his most faithful servant.

"Very well," she said with her best sneer in place.

The two opponents bowed at each other and Bellatrix fired, "_Crucio_."

The spell flew towards the unknown figure in a matter of seconds and hit him straight on the chest.

"Ouch," the figure said comically. "Was that supposed to hurt?" he asked the witch.

Bellatrix cried in frustration and once again tried, "_Avada Kedavra_."

What happened next stunned everyone present; well, all except the two unknown figures. The spell flew through the air, and he didn't even try to duck. He simply stared at the spell as if he was mesmerized by it, and right before the spell hit his body, he merely turned transparent, and the green spell just flew through him and dissipated into the air.

Bellatrix looked like she would faint, but she merely said in a very quiet voice, "That's impossible."

The figure smiled and once again said, "The word 'impossible' isn't in my dictionary." Before Bellatrix realized what was happening, a stunning spell left his wand and hit her so forcefully that she was slammed onto the ground about fifty feet from where she stood.

The figure then turned straight at Hermione and stated, "I've notified the authorities; they should be here in a couple of minutes."

As Hermione nodded dumbly, the two figures just vanished.

Finally, when he had got out of his stupor, Remus ran towards where Bellatrix lay. He checked her and then looked at the others in shock.

"She's dead," he simply stated.

"But that's impossible," Hermione said. "Killed by a stunning spell?"

Many miles away, in the hospital wing of a castle, the unconscious bodies of a boy and a girl appeared in two adjacent beds.


	4. The Mysterious Duo

A/N : I'm really sorry for this huge delay. What with exams and all , I just didn't have any time to write in the last few months.

A huge thanks to my beta Miz636 . Without her help, this story wouldn't have existed

THE MYSTERIOUS DUO

"What did you say?" hissed Voldemort, his voice deathly quiet.

The figure in front of him trembled in fear but answered in a shaky voice, "That's what I heard, My Lord. The Ministry is in an uproar as no one has any idea who those two could possibly be."

"_Crucio_."

As the figure in front of him writhed in pain and agony, Voldemort didn't even bother to spare him another glance.

Who were they? How did they possess so much power?

The fact that they had literally flattened the entire of Voldemort's forces in no more than a few seconds greatly troubled the Dark Lord.

And as if that was not enough, they had destroyed the Dementors and killed Bellatrix, his most faithful servant.

The more he thought about this remarkable incident, the more his anger towards them increased.

Who had ever heard of a Dementor being destroyed?

The fact that they could not be killed was essentially what had attracted the Dark Lord to turn them into his allies.

Voldemort knew that for him to incapacitate a bunch of Death Eaters in a moment was nothing, but he refused to believe that there could be any wizard or witch alive on this earth who could be his equal.

That thought was just laughable.

But how did they achieve such an extraordinary feat? Voldemort had never heard of any kind of fire that was capable of destroying the Dementors.

Oh, yes, he had of course heard about the elementalists. Elementalists were very rare, perhaps born once in a century, but even a fire elementalist's power was not strong enough to wipe out the Dementors.

Who could these 'idiots' be who had dared to oppose the Greatest Dark Lord the world had ever seen?

Were they foolish enough to believe that they could defeat him?

Could it be Potter and that Weasley girl? But as the Dark Lord thought about it, he became certain that there was no way that they could possibly be his two powerful opponents.

The last time he had faced Potter in that duel in the graveyard, he was just pathetic, and then in the Ministry of Magic, he was a coward hiding behind his protector Dumbledore.

And anyway, wherever Potter was at the moment, he was probably wallowing in his grief for that blood traitor Godfather of his.

No there was no way Potter could be one of those two.

What about the Weasley girl?

He had, of course, extracted whatever he needed to know about her from Malfoy, and it was clear to him that the weak and pathetic girl would never be able to face him.

No, these two powerful witch and wizard must be somebody else.

And he, Lord Voldemort, would get to the bottom of this.

For as much as he tried to deny it, The Dark Lord was scared for the first time in his life.

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Two hooded figures walked through the empty streets of Diagonal Alley towards a tall, white building. The few people who were still in the alley did not even notice them, nor did they feel the raw power that was clearly crackling around them.

Without a word, they crossed the security and entered the Wizarding bank, Gringotts, and strode determinedly towards one of the goblins.

"We wish to see the manager of the branch," one of them said calmly. His voice disguised by some sort of spell.

Not even bothering to look at the stranger, the goblin replied, "The Manager is busy; he doesn't have time to see anybody at present."

"We are here to talk about vault number 777," said the other figure in an equally calm voice as if they were expecting to hear this reply.

The goblin's head snapped up, and he stared at the two strangers, his eyes widening ever so slightly. After a few seconds, he regained his composure and then walked briskly out of the room.

Within a few moments, he returned and gestured the strangers into a side room that had two sofas, a chair, and a table.

"The Manager will see you in a moment," he said before walking out of the room.

The two figures sat down in one of the sofas and waited.

Within a few minutes, a very old goblin walked into the room. He gave a toothy smile towards the two strangers and then said, "Lord Gryffindor, Lady Hufflepuff, it is an honour to finally meet you both."

"It is an honour to meet you as well, Graphokk," the taller stranger dressed in red and gold replied with a bow while the other stranger dressed in dark yellow curtsied.

The goblin seemed slightly surprised that they knew his name but replied, "I see that you have come for vault number 777.

"I'm sure you know that the vault was set up, once upon a time, by Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff for a certain purpose. Only those who were their true heir will be able to enter the vault. "

Lord Gryffindor nodded.

Graphokk said, "Then allow us to proceed to the vault and see whether you fulfill the requirements or not."

After a long ride deep within the heart of Gringotts bank, the two heirs and the goblin stopped in front of the closed doors of a vault.

"Not even goblins can open or enter this vault," he said. "All you'll have to do is smear some of your blood on the vault door, and if you are the chosen heir, then the vault will open for you." With that, he stepped back into the cart and waited.

Lady Hufflepuff stretched her hands in front of her and a knife appeared in one hand. She made a small cut on her other hand and handed the knife to the Gryffindor heir. Together, they smeared the blood on the vault's door.

Without a sound, the door of the vault opened. As they entered the vault, the door behind them closed noiselessly.

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Albus Dumbledore was worried. In the last few months, it seemed to him as if his world had turned upside down. First that strange prophecy, then the sudden disappearance of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, then the attack of the Death Eaters on the Hogwarts Express and their unexpected defeat in the hands of two strangers and now the equally sudden reappearances of the two missing children.

As he sat in the Great Hall, waiting for the new first years to arrive, Albus thought how the day had begun today.

_Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, thinking as he had for the last few weeks about the two missing students. _

_"_Where could they be_?" he thought._

_Albus knew for certain that, since even his Phoenix had failed to find them, they must be under extremely powerful wards, possibly the Fidelius Charm._

_That did nothing to calm Albus._

_All of a sudden, his thoughts were interrupted by a flash of fire in front of him._

_Albus jumped up from his seat and pulled out his wand only to find a piece of parchment lying in front of him._

_After inspecting the parchment to make sure that there was no curse on it, he picked it up and found a small letter on it._

_ALBUS DUMBLEDORE,_

_THIS IS TO INFORM YOU THAT AN ATTACK HAD TAKEN PLACE ON THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS DURING IT'S JOURNEY FROM LONDON TO HOGSMEADE TODAY . _

_NO STUDENT HAS BEEN HURT, AND WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY CAPTURED THE DEATH EATERS EXCEPT FOR BELLATRIX LESTRANGE. SHE HAS BEEN KILLED._

_WE WISH TO MEET YOU AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT MATTERS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE. KINDLY MEET US IN YOUR OFFICE AT HALF PAST NINE TONIGHT._

_YOURS SINCERELY,_

_FIRE AND AIR_

_P.S : YOU LIKE CHOCOLATE FROGS_

_Dumbledore stared at the parchment, gob smacked. _They even know the password to my office_, he thought faintly. But then something clicked in his head. The Hogwarts Express had been attacked!_

_He jumped out of his seat for the second time and rushed out of his office, calling the other faculties and members of the Order. Within a few minutes, they had reached the train, only to find that they didn't have much left to do._

_The Death Eaters were sill bound by the rope made of fire, while where there once stood hundreds of Dementors, now there were only piles of ashes._

_Very quickly, he was informed of what had happened by the students and Aurors._

_Dumbledore could barely believe his ears._

_How could you make yourself transparent so that the killing curse would just pass through you without doing any damage? How was it possible to have such amount of resistance to the Cruciatus Curse so that it won't hurt at all?_

_And how in the name of Merlin could you destroy a Dementor?_

_Question after question spiraled in Dumbledore's mind, but he had no answers._

_How weird could a day become? If Dumbledore had thought that the weirdness of the day was over, then he was greatly mistaken._

_The moment he had returned to the castle after ensuring the safety of the students for the rest of the journey to Hogwarts, he had been summoned by an agitated Madam Pomfrey to the Hospital Wing._

_Harry and Ginny had returned to Hogwarts, but they were unconscious, and whatever Madame Pomfrey tried, she could not wake them._

Albus was broken out of his thoughts by the arrival of the first years. As the sorting progressed, he could barely concentrate on what was going on around him.

He felt a slight nudge to his side and realized that it was time for his speech.

"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Before we begin the feast, I would like to remind all of you that magic is not allowed in the corridor, and the Forbidden Forest is still Forbidden.

"I would also like to welcome our new Potions Master, Professor Horace Slughorn, while Professor Snape will take over the position of the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

There was a collective groan from most of the students of Hogwarts while the Slytherins cheered enthusiastically. Professor Snape looked entirely too pleased with himself.

"On a happier note, I would like to inform all of you that the two missing students, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, have returned and are currently in the Hospital Wing."

At this, the students erupted in joy, and the maximum amount of clapping could be heard from the Gryffindor table.

Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna joined the clapping, but they were still concerned about their friends' and sister's health. What were they doing in the Hospital Wing?

As the feast came to an end and the students were shuffled towards their house dormitories, the four students approached the Headmaster and asked if they could go with him to the Hospital Wing.

Dumbledore nodded, and the five of them, who were quickly joined by Professor McGonagall, went on their way to the Hospital.

As they entered, they could see Madame Pomfrey bustling around the two beds where Harry and Ginny lay. Their faces were so pale that Ron shuddered to think what could have happened to them and unconsciously sought out Hermione's hand for comfort.

"I just don't know what else I can do," said the nurse. "There is nothing wrong with them, no physical or mental damage at all. They just won't wake up." Her tone was clearly showing the frustration and distress that she felt.

"It seems that we will have to send them to St. Mungo's."

As Hermione opened her mouth to say something, Luna shrieked. Turning their heads to where she was pointing, they gasped. Harry's fingers were twitching ever so slightly while Ginny's eyes were fluttering.

Immediately Madame Pomfrey rushed to their sides. "Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, come on, open your eyes; I know you can do it."

As she continued to encourage them, slowly and steadily, the boy and the girl regained their consciousness.

"W-what happened?" asked Harry confusedly. "Where am I?"

"You are at Hogwarts, my dear boy," replied Dumbledore.

"But, the last thing I remember was that I was at Privet Drive and... and the room had caught fire and then... then I can't remember anything," the boy concluded lamely.

"_Hmm..."_ the old Professor thought. "What about you, Miss Weasley?" he asked.

"It was as if a cyclone was blowing through the room… but then I remember nothing, sir, nothing at all," she concluded sincerely.

"Fire and Air..." Dumbledore murmured, thinking about the strange prophecy and the upcoming meeting. Could it be in any way related to Harry and Ginny? Could Harry and Ginny possibly be Fire and Air?

"Excuse me, Professor, but what did you mean by that?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing, nothing important, Miss Granger," replied Dumbledore absentmindedly.

Looking at the two bewildered teens in the two beds, he suggested kindly, "Why don't you two take rest in the Hospital Wing tonight under Madame Pomfrey's care so that you can be fit for tomorrow's classes?"

When Ginny opened her mouth to say something, Dumbledore replied, "And don't worry, Miss Weasley, I'll inform your parents that you two have returned."

With that, he swept out of the room.

"How long were we gone?" asked Harry after a while.

"A full month," replied Hermione. "Today is the first of September."

They just sat there chatting with each other. They were glad that Harry and Ginny had returned, though they didn't seem to remember anything of what had happened in the month that they were missing.

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"Chocolate Frogs," said Dumbledore as he entered his office.

He was so deep in thought that he never noticed the two figures lurking in the shadows.

"If I were a Death Eater, you would be dead, Dumbledore," said a soft voice.

Dumbledore spun around and pulled out his wand as he saw two hooded figures standing in front of him.

"Who are you?" he asked, clutching his wand tightly.

"My name is Lord Gryffindor," replied the taller one.

"And I'm Lady Hufflepuff," replied the other.

"But you can call us Fire and Air," they added simultaneously.

Dumbledore lowered his wand slowly. "I see," he said.

He remembered the prophecy that warned him he needed to work with them as they were the 'Leaders of Light.'

"Won't you even show your faces?" he asked after offering them the customary sherbet lemon, to which they politely declined.

"I'm afraid not Headmaster," replied Lady Hufflepuff. "We'd like to keep our hoods up."

"We like the air of mystery that it gives us," added Lord Gryffindor with a smirk.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"So what brings you here?" he asked. "I've heard that you've already impressed the students and the Aurors on the train with your dueling skills." He paused. "Might I ask how you destroyed the Dementors?" he added curiously.

"I'm afraid not, Headmaster," replied Lord Gryffindor. "After all, a wizard – ow! What was that for?" He glared at his companion. She just smiled sweetly at him and again poked him in the ribs.

"Alright, alright, I meant a wizard AND a witch have the right to keep some secrets, Headmaster," he grumbled.

Dumbledore, who was smiling at the display, sighed.

"We are aware that you know the prophecies, Dumbledore, both of them," said Lady Hufflepuff.

Dumbledore looked shocked at this and then nodded.

"We want to know if you are willing to cooperate with us in the war against Voldemort," Lord Gryffindor informed him firmly, implying the obvious question.

Dumbledore nodded. "I will. But what about Harry? I thought that, according to the first prophecy, he was supposed to be the one to defeat Voldemort?"

"He will," replied Lady Hufflepuff, "but his chance will come at the end. The prophecy doesn't say that he will have to do it on his own."

"Do you want to join the Order?" the Headmaster requested after a pause.

"No," replied the two, much to his surprise. "Forgive us, but we wish to work independently."

"That doesn't mean, however, that we won't join the meetings sometime or another," Lady Hufflepuff added with a smirk.

"We will contact you when needed, Albus," said Lord Gryffindor. "You may inform the Order about our alliance," he added.

"And train the boy, Albus," said Lady Hufflepuff. "It also won't be a bad idea for him to reopen the 'Dumbledore's Army,' either. The students have a right to fight in this war as well," she advised.

"It's their future as well, you know," added Lord Gryffindor.

"Until we meet again, Albus." With that, the two simply vanished into thin air, leaving Albus gaping at where they had stood.

Suddenly, he jumped up and went to the fireplace, threw the Floo powder, and called out, "Hogwarts Hospital Wing."

"What is it Albus?" asked Madame Pomfrey.

"Poppy, what are Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley doing?" he asked.

"Sleeping," replied Madam Pomfrey. "Their friends left a while ago. Why?"

"Nothing… nothing…" was all Dumbledore said as he withdrew his head from the fireplace.

So Fire and Air were not Harry and Ginny?

Then who could they be?

As Albus Dumbledore prepared to sleep, he never knew that a very important meeting was taking place deep within Gringotts.

Neither he nor Voldemort realised that the world as they knew it would soon change forever.

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A/N : Ha Ha , Surprised ? Well, just remember, things are NOT always as they seem to be.


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